All students are welcome to participate in band or orchestra. Students do not need to have experience playing an instrument prior to joining the class. You will be placed in one of the following classes, under the direction of Ms. Lori Musicant:

Beginning Strings
Beginning Winds
Concert Band
Symphonic Band
String Orchestra

Personal Supplies

All band students will be required to have a pencil, their music folder and book, and their instrument with them every day in class.

Violin and viola players are required to have a soft cloth for cleaning their instrument, rosin and a shoulder rest. Shoulder rests range in price from $2.00 (for a foam pad) on up.

Cello and bass players are required to have a soft cloth for cleaning their instrument and rosin.

Brass players are required to have valve oil and a cleaning kit.

Woodwind players are required to have at least two working reeds and a cleaning kit.

Percussion players are required to have their own drumsticks and a practice pad.

Performance Attire

All band students are required to have:

• Black dress pants (jeans are NOT allowed) or black skirt (knee length or longer)
• Black dress shoes
• Black socks

Beginning groups will wear band tee shirts and black pants, shoes, and socks.

Intermediate group will wear the green JMMS doublet and black pants, shoes, and socks.

Advanced groups will wear tux shirt, cummerbund, bow tie, and black pants, shoes, and socks.

Use/Care of School Instruments

Students must see Ms. Musicant about taking out school instruments.

The student and his/her parents will assume full responsibility for the care and maintenance of school-owned instruments while the student is using it. This includes necessary minor repairs.

It is highly recommended for the student and parent to have an insurance policy to cover the instrument in use. If a student damages an instrument during the course of the music class, or if the instrument is lost or stolen, the student and parent will be charged for the repair (or replacement) of the school instrument.

NO STUDENT MAY EVER PLAY AN INSTRUMENT THAT IS NOT ASSIGNED TO HIM OR HER.

General Care of School Instruments

All Instruments

Accidents do sometimes occur. When this happens, the student and/or parent must contact Ms. Musicant immediately to inform her of any accident or problem with an instrument. NEVER attempt to fix the problem yourself; this may result in further damage to the instrument.

STRINGS

Cleaning: Use a soft dry cloth to wipe off your instrument daily.

Replacing strings: If a string should break, you should either take the instrument into a local music store to replace the string (see recommended stores below) or have Ms. Musicant replace. String instruments come in various sizes and the wrong size string will hinder the students' ability to properly play the instrument.

Bridge/sound post issues: If the bridge should slip or fall or the sound post should fall, please notify Ms. Musicant to correct the problem. The bridge and sound post should never be glued into place.

Temperature: NEVER leave your instrument in a hot car or near a furnace. String instruments are very fragile and need to be treated that way. It’s best to store the instrument somewhere with stable temperature/humidity (i.e, not in front of a vent).

Violins and violas: Instruments should always be placed back in the case when not being played. NEVER leave your instrument on a chair or a bed.

Cellos and basses: Instruments should always be placed on the floor, either on its side or on the back. NEVER leave the instrument propped up on anything and NEVER lay it down on the front bridge side of the instrument.

BRASS

Cleaning: Do not use Brasso or any other brass cleaners to clean and polish brass instruments, and never leave it standing in water. Use a soft cloth to clean your instrument.

Care of valves/slides: Use valve oil on the valves and slide grease on the slides. Never use Vaseline or WD40.

Mouthpiece: If a mouthpiece gets stuck, please take it to a music store or to Ms. Musicant to remove. Do not use pliers to remove stuck mouthpieces.

Never leave your instrument on a chair or bed and never stand the instrument on its bell at any time. Instruments should be placed in cases when not in use.

WOODWINDS

Cleaning: Never use any polish to clean woodwind instruments. Chemicals from the polish can ruin the delicate pads. (Flutes - never use silver polish on your instrument). Only use a soft dry cloth in cleaning any instrument. Woodwind instruments need to be swabbed out after every use.

Reeds: Reeds must be removed and safely stored in a reed case or sleeve after each use. This will prolong the life of the reed. Not removing the reed will allow bacteria to grow on the reed.

Never leave your instrument sitting on a chair or bed and never stand the instrument on its bell at any time. Instruments should be placed in cases when not in use.

NEVER use super glue to reattach pads that have fallen off the instrument.

 

If you have any questions please email Ms. Musicant at:
LoriMusicant@burbankusd.org

About Choir

John Muir Choir, under the expert direction of Lydia Lee, has these very successful groups:

• Musical Mustangs: two 6th grade choirs
• Guys and Dolls: 7th grade mixed choir
• Girls Next Door: 7th and 8th grade Girls Choir
• Imaginations: 8th grade mixed choir

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VMA (Vocal Music Association)

The VMA (Vocal Music Association) was formally established in 2001 to promote parent support in all activities surrounding the perpetration and performance of vocal music education at John Muir Middle School and to raise funds in support of vocal music programs, concerts, and activities at JMMS (John Muir Middle School). The contribution by the VMA of time, goods, services and/or finances to the VMA program is intended to augment the program and not to serve as a substitute for the legal financial obligations of the State of California, County of Los Angeles, or the Burbank Unified School District to provide the basic needs of the organization.

The 2015/2016 officers are as follows:

Jennifer Audette - President
Lisa Bethel - Vice President
Yvette Snyder - Treasurer
Gloria Cap - Financial Secretary
Charles Rodriguez - Recording Secretary

Program Director: Lydia Lee: lydialee@burbankusd.org

About the Muir Drama program

John Muir Middle School Drama consists of four levels:

• In the student’s sixth grade year they get to take our year long BEGINNING DRAMA. In the Fall, students learn the basics of pantomime, improvisation, and cold reading while getting used to being on stage and playing fun games that reinforce these skills. The Spring takes us on our "around- the-world-trip" through theater history as students perform in the styles and traditions of various cultures. It's a class that works for kids that are very shy as well as for the born perfomer.

• In seventh grade and eighth grade students can be a part of the year long INTERMEDIATE DRAMA class.  This class focuses on building an ensemble of performers and teaches kids about Greek tragedy, elements of comedy, parody, satire, melodrama, advanced improvisation, monologues and scene work.  They will write their own scenes and monologues as well as get a chance to practice interpretation by performing famous theatrical pieces.  Students in this class spend most of their time up on their feet performing, but still leave with a solid academic base.  Each semester the class performs in a nighttime “friends and family” invitation-only showcase in our auditorium.

• PLAY PRODUCTION is for our most dedicated eighth graders as the class does the work of rehearsing and preparing to put on the school play. These students audition to get into the class, select the play, audition for parts, rehearse after school, and perform in front of the entire John Muir Middle School student body and the public. During the time that preparation for the play isn't our focus, these students work on monologues, character development, and sketch writing.
• A seventh or eighth grade student that decides they want to learn what goes on behind the scenes can join THEATHER TECH. In this year-long class, students learn the fundamentals of stagecraft, set decoration, lighting, sound, theater management, and all of the work off stage that improves the work on stage. With an emphasis on cooperation and safety, this class, though it does require an after school commitment during the shows, is perfect for beginners and experienced technicians alike.

 

 

Contact: stephenjames@burbankusd.org

There are three different art classes available at John Muir Middle School:

Beginning Art Wheel

A 10-week course that explores basic art techniques and mediums, color theory, Art History, and criticism by creating original works of art. This class is only open to 6th grade students.

 

 

Art 7-8

A 20-week course that explores various art movements, techniques, the elements and principles of design, art philosophy and criticism with a more in depth analysis using Art History as well as creating original art works.  Students will use critical thinking skills while solving design problems to create unique works of art.  This class is open to 7th and 8th grade students.

 

 

Ceramics

A 20-week hand building course.  Students will learn about the Science of clay and solve technical and creative issues using clay.  Students will learn about the History of sculpture as well as basic hand building, glazing techniques and art criticism.  This class is open to 7th and 8th grade students.